Petroleum service technicians, sometimes called geological and petroleum technicians, work primarily in industries related to mining and petroleum products. They monitor the performance of and perform maintenance and repairs on drilling and extracting machinery. Approximately 14,680 of these technicians were working in the United States as of May 2011.

National Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, petroleum technicians earned an average annual salary of $57,840 as of May 2011, and reported average wages of $27.81 an hour. The median salary for this occupation was $49,690, and the highest-earning 25 percent of all petroleum technicians working in the United States reported annual earnings of $73,490 or more.

Pay by Location

By state, average salaries for petroleum technicians in the United States ranged from a low of $34,000 in North Carolina to a high of $80,150 in Nevada. Other high-paying states for this occupation included California, Alaska, New York, Indiana and Louisiana. The highest-paying metropolitan area in the country for this occupation was the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine area of California, where petroleum engineers averaged $92,330 per year. The highest-paying nonmetropolitan area was the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan, with an average pay of $81,030 per year.

Pay by Industry

As of 2011, petroleum technicians working in the coal and petroleum products manufacturing industry earned more than those in any other field, averaging $94,330 per year. Petroleum technicians working in the oil and gas extraction industry reported an average annual income of $63,780. Petroleum technicians working in support activities for mining reported average salaries of $51,540 per year. Those employed by architectural and engineering firms reported an average salary of $47,500 per year.

Job Outlook

The BLS expects jobs for petroleum technicians to grow at a rate of about 15 percent from 2010 to 2020, resulting in about 2,100 new jobs. Employment in this occupation is tied to the fluctuations of oil and gas prices; if petroleum prices continue to remain high, many jobs are expected to be available. The BLS also reports that candidates who hold an associate degree or at least two years of relevant postsecondary study are more likely to find employment.